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A Republican member of the United States House of Representatives criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday, accusing her of hiding the identities of influential associates linked to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during questioning about the Justice Department’s review of investigative documents. This occurred during a tense hearing before a House panel.
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a key supporter in pushing for the release of the files, condemned the Justice Department for failing to fully comply with legal obligations. He questioned why the name of billionaire Leslie Wexner was redacted from an FBI document that listed potential co-conspirators involved in Epstein’s sex trafficking investigation.
Bondi responded that Wexner’s name appeared multiple times in other released files and that the DOJ had quickly unredacted his name within 40 minutes of being alerted. Massie retorted, “Forty minutes of me catching you red-handed,” emphasizing his frustration.
Lawmakers voiced concerns over the excessive redactions, which seemed to surpass the allowable legal exceptions. Many expressed disappointment that the department had withheld or refused to publish large sections of the documents, citing legal privileges as the reason.
During the hearing, Bondi faced aggressive questioning from committee members and exchanged heated exchanges, with some victims of Epstein’s alleged crimes present and observing. The Justice Department had recently released over 3 million pages of documents, shedding light on the ongoing connections between Epstein and various wealthy and powerful individuals after his initial conviction.
Victims and advocates questioned the transparency of the process, highlighting instances where victims’ identities appeared to have been inadvertently exposed. Bondi defended the department’s efforts, claiming that over 500 lawyers worked diligently to review the materials, and insisted that any disclosures of victims’ identities were unintentional. She also reaffirmed her commitment to fighting for victims, citing her long career in the field.
Les Wexner, the former CEO of Victoria’s Secret’s parent company L Brands, hired Epstein as his personal financial manager starting in the 1980s. Wexner has stated that Epstein misused his funds but denies any knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities, claiming he ended his association with Epstein around 2007 after Epstein was first criminally charged.
Throughout her tenure as Attorney General under the Trump administration, Bondi’s handling of Epstein-related disclosures has been scrutinized. Last summer, the Justice Department’s hesitation to release additional material drew criticism, especially given Epstein’s death by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington demanded an apology from Bondi to Epstein’s victims for the manner in which the files were released, including the exposure of victims’ names in some cases. Bondi responded by questioning why the same question was not posed to her predecessor under President Joe Biden’s administration and dismissed Jayapal’s concerns as theatrical.
Bondi’s appearance happened shortly after a federal grand jury declined to indict six Democratic lawmakers over a video where they urged the U.S. military not to follow unlawful orders. The department’s history of independence appears to have diminished amid investigations targeting political figures and aligning more closely with Trump’s political interests. Past efforts to prosecute officials like ex-FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who investigated Trump, were unsuccessful.
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